Vaccines
Hot Topic
Sunday, February 6, 2011 by natas2 | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
Besides the entire topic of vaccines being good or bad, I think this comment by Bill Gates is interesting and scary at the same time. Check the portion I highlighted and tell me what you think about it. Here we have a guy stating that we must vaccinate to save lives, but in the same statement he says something about stopping population growth. That scares me. To me, that says we are putting things in the vaccines that will render people sterile.
Reply #2 Sunday, February 6, 2011 11:25 AM
Maybe he should just stick to his field of expertise (whatever that is now) because honestly, if he weren't rich and famous, his opinions wouldn't even be making the news to begin with. 
Reply #3 Sunday, February 6, 2011 11:27 AM
Bill Gates has clarified that his proposal to use vaccines to curb global population growth was premised on the “suprising but critical fact” that decreasing child mortality through immunization also reduced population growth.
Gates, whose foundation is a leading funding source for vaccine research, had told a recent (3/2010) Technology, Entertainment, Design conference that the development of new vaccines, along with improved health care and reproductive services, could cut population growth “by perhaps 10 to 15 percent.”
That's probably a longer range estimate involving improvement of education and economic conditions in poverty stricken countries and the observation that as people get better health services and countries grow economically, populations tend to level off due to more enlightenment as to what is sustainable and the prospect of increased life expectancy.
Reply #4 Sunday, February 6, 2011 12:08 PM
Reply #5 Sunday, February 6, 2011 12:37 PM
Sure. 
Reply #6 Sunday, February 6, 2011 12:37 PM
I presented nothing of my own Philly, but let's say it were.
The fallacy is that all societies have not advanced technologically at the same rate. They haven't because that particular development depended on the Protestant Reformation which occurred only in Europe. Even within Europe, different cultural groups demonstrate different attainment levels due to time exposed to better health care and education as well as acceptance into that society.
Now that technology and communication have reached unprecedented levels in those European and European influenced societies, mass education has become a real possibility for the third world. Health care has lagged behind as it is (on the actual care giving level) far less profit driven and far more tech dependent. Also, it has lagged because of the political/cultural/economic lag in the third world. Thus time has a different meaning depending on where you are.
In those that have gotten the education and health care, the fertility rates have fallen off. They are running 1.3-1.8. To sustain, the rates must be 1.8-2.0 and to grow, >2.3.
Reply #7 Sunday, February 6, 2011 1:35 PM
I understand what you are saying Doc, but we all just don't live in our own corner of the world, we share this planet. Even if the developed and techonolgy advanced portions have seen the light, so to say, the rest of the world has us pretty much on a collision course with destiny.
Well, that's how I feel.
Reply #8 Sunday, February 6, 2011 1:56 PM
The only way to that "collision course with destiny" is to sit idly by: To ignore and be inured to the ignorance and suffering of other human beings. Those things are fixable.
Reply #9 Sunday, February 6, 2011 5:26 PM
it says to me.... that instead of people... who can barely feed themselves.... having 10 children in the hope a few will survive to look after them in their old age.... providing vaccines means their children have more chance of surviving... therefore, no need for 10 kids...
If only we were as smart as the animal world.... and breed only in times of plentiful food/water... 
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Reply #1 Sunday, February 6, 2011 11:24 AM
Some things do go hand in hand.
The Earth has only a limited capacity to provide for it's inhabitants. If we are going to reduce childhood death and prolong life then logic says something needs to be done. We either find new ways to not waste limited resources on Earth, find new planets to explore and populate or go back to what some may say is the 'natural order of things'.
Technology is a double edge sword that cuts both ways. The real question is will we find the answer before it's too late.